Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos was rescued by Venezuelan police this evening in a mountainous area west of his hometown and is returning to his house where elated family members and friends await his arrival.

The 24-year-old was found “safe and sound,” according to Venezuelan justice minister Tareck El Aissami, roughly 51 hours after he was abducted by four armed men outside his home near Valencia.

Family members spoke on the phone with Ramos, who told them he was “healthy and well,” according to close family friend Marfa Mata.

“The news from Venezuela tonight is reassuring,” Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said in a statement released by the club. “Though details are limited and we have not yet talked directly with Wilson, we are thrilled with reports that he has been rescued and is being safely returned to his family. We greatly appreciate all the prayers and thoughts of all who have joined us in wishing for this conclusion to what has been a nightmarish 48 hours. We are eager to see Wilson and let him know just how many all over the world have been waiting for this news.”

It’s not yet known how authorities located Ramos or how the rescue operation was performed, but the Venezuelan government reported three men in custody, including one who is a Colombian citizen linkedRead more

Great to have some good news after what was honestly a pretty crappy week in sports. Realize we are just getting basic information but I am hopeful there is no physical injury and also want to hear more about the rescue.Just happy he is safe for now.

Thanks, Jesus (Jesus Christ, not Jesus Flores). I know that all abduction cases don't always have happy endings, but I'm thrilled that Wilson was rescued and will return to his family and eventually the Nats. God bless him and everyone who helped find him.

Snippet below is from a story on the team site. I'll bet that's a first as far as baseball scorekeeping notations. Delay of game for celebration of catcher being released from captivity. Atta way, fans."Drucker also tweeted that the crowd at the club's Winter League game began to cheer non-stop upon hearing the news, pausing the play on the field as the fans stood and applauded."

Thank Goodness, I will sleep much better tonight. I look forward to reading the story of the rescue and how many bad guys were caught. Although I couldn't make the 6pm candlelight vigil, I can only believe that all those good vibes had some effect on this outcome.Welcome back Wilson! Fyi Mark any word on how he got the name Wilson?

Personally, I'd like to give my thanks to the rescue team. They put their lives on the line to bring Wilson to safety and I commend their bravery and professionalism.Very happy for Wilson, his family, the players down there, and our Nationals community. This made my night a lot more enjoyable.

Seeing the picture of Ramos at the top of the page almost made me lose it. I feel for that young boy, and for his mama. Like the rest of y'all, I am very relieved.And in other, lighter news, I'm pretty sure Suicide Squeeze wins the thread.Lesson: Never kidnap a catcher with a high caught stealing percentage.

You know, I think this is going to become a galvanizing moment for the Nationals family. We all felt like our own brother was idnapped. Our Nats have become more than baseball team to us. The elation we feel is so deep. A real visceral connection is forming between us fans and the team. Look at how many more posts there on this site. Feel the love Nats Nation! Great things are coming for this franchise and city. Wilson–we love you and can't wait to see you again. Thank God you are safe.

Squeeze, great line. And thanks for the news of the game delay.Sooooo grateful this morning. Wondering how they will keep him safe down there now…whether he goes to the compound with the other players or stays with his family. And how his family stays protected. And other families. But the abiding sense is gratitude.

That photo *did* make me lose it. That, and reading accounts of his words to his mother when they first spoke by phone after he was freed (see below, taken from accounts from Kilgore and Comak).Big time gratitude here, along with hopes for healing and peace for Wilson and his family as they process this. (And, on a lighter note, well done to Squeeze.)Roughly an hour after the news of his rescue broke, Ramos spoke on the phone with his mother, Maria Campos, according to Marfa Mata, a close family friend of the Ramos family.“Calm down,” Ramos said. “I’m going home.”After she learned Ramos had been found, Campos spoke to her son over the phone. “Mama, I love you,” she said he told her. “Mama – I’m good. They freed me. They rescued me.”

So thankful for the happy ending! There is a side of me that would like to hear all of the gory details as to how the rescue actually went down. When the ship is sinking, pray to God, but swim for shore! So happy for, him, his family, and our Nationals Fans family!I'm also looking forward to the appropriate time to getting back to talking baseball, particularly as to how everybody feels about the Phillies developments regarding their closer.

Ditto all of the above! And maybe D'gourds is right about an effect that this will have on Nats fans. It is interesting to me how little time and attention this got from the 4 letter network, and relatively much more from hard news outlets.100 days!

Shedding tears first thing in the morning is usually not a good sign, except when it's news that our boy has been returned to us safe and sound!The quotes by Ramos and his family in Kilgore's report, as well as the comments by my fellow Nats Insiders have warmed my heart considerably! What a fantastic start to the day!

Was fine until reading about Wilson's words to his mother. Being a parent (welcome again to the club Mr. Z) the minute your child is born it is a life full of joy and worry. Glad to know one of these worries is over for the Ramos family. God Bless them all. Now, I hope baseball news from now on will be confined to Hot Stove reports and countdowns to opening day. Did anyone hear that the Phillies have a new Closer?

not to nitpick but i don't like the bullet-proof vest picture that much. i'd never use it in my main story. i've seen couple other better ones. but i guess in the blog-sphere everyone makes their own editorial choices.

Anon, I believe that the photo appeared first on Twitter last night (I think it was sent by a VL team employee). It was likely the only post-rescue pic available at that point. (Not that it matters particularly but I was relieved and moved to see it then.) A picture is worth a thousand words and all that.

UNTERP, I don't have kids but thought a lot about my nieces and nephew, all of whom are close to Wilson in age.Not that this matters either, but I'd been wearing my navy Nats away gear since Thursday morning. Today I've switched to my red Nats home gear. Welcome home, Wilson. We love you lots.

Inspiration comes from elation, but thank you all for the kind words.I was dozing on the couch half-watching TV when the breaking news report came on. All kidding aside, I was so ecstatically happy that I couldn't sleep for hours. Best. Insomnia. Reason. Ever.GYFNG!

Great line, Squeeze. One thing this reminds me is how transformative it is to be able to hear the latest from Mark and other reporters and to be in touch with others on blogs and so on at a time like this. And w/o blogs and Twitter, it wd have been a lot harder to get out the word about the vigil. Thank you Mark, Alicia Durfee, and everyone who commented on Nats Insider.

True, sec109. I've still not set up an account but I will 'fess up to frequently checking the Twitter accounts of Nats beat writers over the past couple of days. And, of course, this was my first blog stop for updates.

God Bless, finally some good news!BTW, Mark your colleague Sally Jenkins, SUCKS and should resign as a columnist for the Post. She is now a cold hearted hosebag in my book and I like her to go to every single young man who was violated by Sandusky and tell them that "Paterno is not to blame"

Wilson is home and safe. The support for Wilson and his family has been tremendous.These situations are so difficult to navigate. Some times no news is the best news. Wilson's agents, MLB and the Nationals all were prudent in not saying too much.The news coverage couldn't get any "insiders" on-air comments so they had to go to the street to get comments form passers-by http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMLc_wPQGHUIts frustrating to not have any news but in the end, Wilson Ramos is safe in part to the lack of sensationalizing this ordeal that could have jeopardized rescue efforts. There will always be those who quickly jumped in to criticize the Lerner's and Nationals for not saying anything quickly or player's for not expressing more and then you have those with wild imaginations that speculated on an "inside job". I can't even repeat some of the stories.Again, glad to have Wilson back home safe.

When people remove and the re-post, I always wonder what was wrong with the first one.I'm pretty sure Sec3's first post read "…twecking chitter…"I want to be able to remove posts too, just so the interweb refers to me as "author". I'd update my LinkedIn profile in a heartbeat.

Eh, maybe correcting typos in some cases, maybe having second thoughts about a comment in others. I don't know how to remove posts, either. Maybe one needs to have an account? Me, I just hit "post," then cry "nooooo," maybe print a retraction. All in a day's work for an Interwebz commenter.

1A, yes, you have to have a google account, and then you can put in your picture, sooooooo, we know what you look like.There were some posts that could REALLY stand removing, Scooter, no doubt about that.On Twitter there was one person, usually ok, who whined constantly about the Nats not issuing a statement. When they finally did, it said exactly what you expected. Why are people SO worried about their own feelings???

Thanks for the info, NatsLady. Not big on posting my pic on the interwebz, so my physical appearance will have to remain a mystery except for those who meet me face-to-face at get-togethers. (Yes, I am drop-dead gorgeous, now that y'all asked. As if. :-))Scooter, thanks for the LOL. I haven't done that in days. Quite enjoy it, actually.

For the record, I do not look like that picture. It's really old. I shave twice a day now–all the best people do.And 1a, as always, brings the insight. I did indeed retract (but not recant, renounce, or abjure) my statement on … oh, wait, I guess I shouldn't say it here, either, huh?